Within the context of the present disclosure a hearing aid can be understood as a small, battery-powered, microelectronic device designed to be worn behind or in the human ear by a hearing-impaired user. Prior to use, the hearing aid is adjusted by a hearing aid fitter according to a prescription. The prescription is based on a hearing test, resulting in a so-called audiogram, of the performance of the hearing-impaired user's unaided hearing. The prescription is developed to reach a setting where the hearing aid will alleviate a hearing loss by amplifying sound at frequencies in those parts of the audible frequency range where the user suffers a hearing deficit. A hearing aid comprises one or more microphones, a battery, a microelectronic circuit comprising a signal processor adapted to provide amplification in those parts of the audible frequency range where the user suffers a hearing deficit, and an acoustic output transducer. The signal processor is preferably a digital signal processor. The hearing aid is enclosed in a casing suitable for fitting behind or in a human ear.
Within the present context a hearing aid system may comprise a single hearing aid (a so called monaural hearing aid system) or comprise two hearing aids, one for each ear of the hearing aid user (a so called binaural hearing aid system). Furthermore the hearing aid system may comprise an external device, such as a smart phone having software applications adapted to interact with other devices of the hearing aid system. Thus within the present context the term “hearing aid system device” may denote a hearing aid or an external device.
Generally a hearing aid system according to the invention is understood as meaning any system which provides an output signal that can be perceived as an acoustic signal by a user or contributes to providing such an output signal and which has means which are used to compensate for an individual hearing loss of the user or contribute to compensating for the hearing loss of the user. These systems may comprise hearing aids which can be worn on the body or on the head, in particular on or in the ear, and can be fully or partially implanted. However, some devices whose main aim is not to compensate for a hearing loss may nevertheless be considered a hearing aid system, for example consumer electronic devices (televisions, hi-fi systems, mobile phones, MP3 players etc.) provided they have measures for compensating for an individual hearing loss.
It is well known within the art of hearing aid systems that most users will benefit from a hearing aid programming (this process may also be denoted fitting) that takes the user's personal preferences into account. This type of fine tuning or optimization of the hearing aid system settings may also be denoted customization. It is however also well known that the process of customization is a very challenging one.
One problem with customization is that it may be very difficult for a user to explain in words what types of signal processing and the resulting sounds that are preferred.
Customization may generally be advantageous with respect to basically all the various types of signal processing that are carried out in a hearing aid system. Thus customization may be relevant for e.g. noise reduction as well as for classification of the sound environment.
EP-B1-1946609 discloses a method for optimization of hearing aid parameters. The method is based on Bayesian incremental preference elicitation whereby at least one signal processing parameter is adjusted in response to a user adjustment. According to a specific embodiment the user adjustment is simply an indication of user dissent.
EP-B1-1946609 is complicated in so far that it applies a parameterized approach in order to model the user's unknown internal response function (i.e. the user's preference), because it is very difficult to find a suitable parameterized model that suits the great variety of hearing aid system users unknown internal response functions.
Furthermore EP-B1-1946609 is complicated because the processing and memory requirements are very high, especially for hearing aid systems that generally have limited processing and memory resources.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide an improved method of optimizing a hearing aid system setting with respect to both user satisfaction and requirements to processing and memory resources.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a hearing aid system with improved means for optimizing a hearing aid system setting.
Additionally the inventor has found that internally generated sounds that are used for providing comfort, be it for masking undesired sounds or just for causing a relaxing experience, may benefit significantly from customization.
In the context of the present disclosure, a relaxing sound should be understood as a sound having a quality whereby it is easy to relax and be relieved of e.g. stress and anxiety when subjected to it. Traditional music is one example of relaxing sound while noise is most often used to refer to a sound that is not relaxing.
In the context of the present disclosure, a relaxing sound may especially be understood as a sound adapted for relieving tinnitus.
US-B2-6816599 discloses one type of relaxing sound, that can be generated by a music synthesizer in a way that is very well suited for implementation in e.g. a hearing aid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,074 discloses a hearing aid that can also be utilized for tinnitus therapy, wherein a useful digital signal, derived from the output signal from the hearing aid input transducer, can be evaluated in terms of its intensity, its spectral distribution and/or its time structure such that an oppositely directed (compensating) behavior can be achieved. Hereby the signals for tinnitus therapy can be activated only when no useful signal is present. Arbitrary transition times between end of the useful signal and beginning of the signals for tinnitus therapy can thereby be set. When a longer quiet pause occurs, then the masking signal is slowly mixed in and thus drowns out the disturbing tinnitus noise. It is also disclosed that melodic sound sequences or other tones can be used to mask the tinnitus
One problem with generating relaxing sounds is that it may be very difficult for a user to explain in words what type of sounds are perceived as relaxing.
This is especially critical if the user desires to use the relaxing sounds in order to draw his attention away from e.g. a perceived tinnitus tone.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide an improved method for customizing the generation of relaxing sound.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a hearing aid system with improved means for customizing the generation of relaxing sound.